Dufour signs with KHL club

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

William Dufour's time in North America is over for the time being.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs forward has signed a one-year deal with the KHL's Lada Togliatti, the club announced earlier this week.

Dufour will have a familiar teammate on the Russian-based team: former Sea Dog Josh Lawrence, who signed earlier this off-season. Dufour and Lawrence were both part of Saint John's 2022 Memorial Cup championship team.

It's been a difficult few years for Dufour who has struggled to find the form he had during his first pro season in 2022-23. This past season, the 23-year-old recorded nine goals and 13 assists in 57 AHL games split between the Bridgeport Islanders and Colorado Eagles.

Dufour registered 25 points the season prior. In his rookie season, the Quebec City native had an impressive 21 goals and 27 assists in 69 games with Bridgeport. He also appeared in one NHL game with the New York Islanders that year, the team that drafted him in the fifth-round in 2020.

The Islanders dealt Dufour to the Avalanche at the trade deadline. He was not re-signed by the Avs.

Dufour had a legendary 2021-22 season with the Sea Dogs, recording 56 goals and 116 points in 66 regular season games. He added seven goals and an assist in four games at the Memorial Cup, earning tournament MVP honours.

Along with Dufour and Lawrence, former Sea Dogs defensemen Alex Grant (Avangard Omsk) and Ostap Safin (Traktor Chelyabinsk) are currently signed with KHL clubs for next season. The number of ex-Dogs signed to play in the league will likely increase before the season starts.